Isidore (Kolokolov) of Mikhailov

The hieromartyr Isidore (Kolokolov) of Mikhailov was the Bishop of Mikhailov, a vicariate of the Ryazan diocese. In 1911, he learned through revelation of the future suffering of Russia that he shared with several bishops, all of whom were later martyred.

He was tonsured into the mantiya on September 28, 1888 and given the name Isidore. On October 17, 1888, he was ordained a deacon, followed by ordination as a priest in 1891. First, appointed a teacher at the Tiflis Theological Seminary in Georgia, Fr. Isidore became an inspector at the Tiflis seminary in 1891. In 1893, he was raised to the dignity of archimandrite and appointed inspector at the theological academy in St. Petersburg. After becoming an archimandrite, Fr. Isidore was given a number of assignments in southern Russia. First, he was assigned duties as the diocesan missionary of the Diocese of Stavropol. Then in 1894, he was moved to the position of administer of the missionary monastery of Nikolayevsky in the Caucasian section of the Kuban district. In 1896, Fr. Isidore returned north with an appointment as superior of the Monastery of Pereyaslavl Nikitsky in the Diocese of Vladimir. In 1900, he was moved the Zlatoust Monastery in Moscow as its superior.

On May 12, 1902, Fr. Isidore was consecrated Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, a vicariate of the Diocese of Chernigov. On November 4, 1903, Bp. Isidore was transferred as Bishop of Balakhinsk, a vicariate of the Diocese of Nizhni-Novgorod. Then on November 10, 1906, Bp. Isidore became Bishop of Mikhailov, a vicariate of the Diocese of Ryazan.

However, Bp. Isidore was retired from his position as Bishop of Mikhailov on May 26, 1911 and banished for some reason to Valaam. At Valaam, he had a revelation of the future sufferings of Russia that were covered with blood. This revelation he shared with a number of bishops at Valaam. These bishops were all later martyred. During his stay at Valaam, Bp. Isidore left a memory of being a person of rare simplicity, accessibility, heart-felt warmth, and great humility, as noted by Fr. Juvian of Valaam.

Bp. Isidore received an appointment on December 9, either in 1911 or 1912, as abbot of the Monastery of Omsk Pokrovsky. In June 1913, he moved, without assignment, to the Filei Alexander Nevsky Monastery before moving, in December 1913, to the Trifonov Dormition Monastery, both in Vyatka Diocese. In 1916, Bp. Isidore was appointed administrator of Holy Trinity Monastery in Tyumen with the rights of superior.

In late 1916, Bp. Isidore performed the burial service for Gregory Rasputin. After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas, in early 1917, Bp. Isidore was relieved of his position at Tyumen Monastery and sent to the Sviyazhsk Monastery in the Diocese of Kazan. Details of his later life under Bolshevik rule is unclear. He was killed in Samara by being impaled on a stake in either 1918 or 1919.